Saying they are more equipped than the state to avert fiscal ruin in Detroit, Mayor Dave Bing and City Council members are drafting a counterproposal to Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed consent agreement that would leave Bing with the powers of an emergency manager and not put a nine-member board in charge of the city.

More equipped than the state to avert fiscal ruin? Excuse me for a moment while I ROFLMAO....

Whew, ok, all done.

Who do they think they are kidding? They've done a bang up job creating a financial ruin, not averting one. How letting them keepin' on as they've been keepin' on is going to improve matters is rather incomprehensible.

Of course, the changes proposed by the mayor and council are less about what is good for Detroit and more about protecting their power and that of their supporters at the expense of everyone else:

Under the 26-page draft, obtained Thursday by the Free Press and first reported on freep.com , Bing proposes taking over many of the responsibilities of the state's proposed financial advisory board. He would assume the powers of an emergency manager, except that of being able to terminate union contracts.

Under the city's draft proposal, Bing would be authorized to unilaterally lay off employees, close departments, end services, terminate outside contracts and appoint a chief operating officer, chief financial officer and human services director -- all tasks that belonged to the financial advisory board under the state's proposal. "The City Council was given a modified version of the governor's consent agreement draft as a starting point for discussion between the council and the mayor's office to develop a counterproposal," said Kirk Lewis, Bing's chief of staff.

Note the main differences between the City and State proposals.

Not only would Detroit remain solely answerable to the same people who have brought it to the brink of disaster, compelte with continued splintered control between the mayor and council, but the union contracts would remain unalterable.

You know, the same union contracts that have locked Detroit into spending more than it takes in, and having more employees than is justified by its declining population.

In other words, Governor Snyder should treat this proposal treated as a non-starter as it won't deal with the problem and will likely just drag it out longer. It will again be a case of Detroit demanding money from the State of Michigan with no commensurate accountability.